Africa innovates Magazine -AI4DEV - Flipbook - Page 46
AFRICA INNOVATES
Senegal
In brief
10-MINUTE
CORONAVIRUS
TEST
AFRICA
CAN!
To global excitement, and at the peak of the
COVID-19 in March, it was announced that
researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar,
had developed this diagnostic kit. It produces
results in just 10 minutes at a cost of only $1.
Once rolled out, it will even provide the option
for tests to be done at home. The test kit is
still being tested in partnership with a British
biotech company Mologic. Pasteur Institute has
capacity to produce four million kits annually
and plans to expand if more partners join.
Democtratic
Republic of Congo
SAFE GATE:
A N A U TO M AT I C
DISINFECTION TUNNEL
that offers effective protection for public spaces
such as government buildings, utility stations,
supermarkets, museums, offices, hospitals among
others. Safe-Gate is a hydraulic system fitted by
aerosol equipment and automatic sensors, which
spontaneously disinfects through spraying individuals passing through it. Safe-Gate is among
DRC’s widely accepted COVID-19 safety kits.
MABOKO PETO
HANDWASHER
M A B O KO P E TO
H A N DWA S H E R
This automatic hybrid solar-powered handwashing machine is practical as it can use both solar
and hydro electrical energies. Called Maboko Peto
(Lingala for clean hands), the basin comes with
sensor-automated taps, one for the soap and the
other for the water. It also has a thermometer for
detecting user temperatures and a hand dryer.
46 SHOWCASING AFRICAN INNOVATION
To g o
GO AGRIC
E-COMMERCE
Edeh Dona Etchri is the founder of CLIN-SARLU, Togo’s local digital
incubation centre, and a hub for start-ups working in the agriculture
and sustainable development sectors. He originally created his e-agribusiness as a platform for farmers to sell their products on the local,
regional and international market. “But the COVID-19 pandemic has
seen producers lose their income due to the lack of customers,” he says.
Rising to the COVID-19 enforced challenge, he adapted his platform
- to not only reflect the new reality - but to also continue providing his
much-needed services to his community.He created GoAgriCOVID-19
– an online based, home delivery agri-business platform, which has
become Togo’s go for buying and selling essential agricultural produce
during the pandemic. Transactions are done via a WhatsApp chatbot.
